Dr. Jones
Has No Time For Love
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Leonard Davis might be good fit for Dallas
By Matt Mosley
ESPN.com
In addition to being obscenely large, the newest member of the Cowboys' offensive line had the good fortune of being born an hour from the club's practice facility.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, an Arkansas native, is suddenly handing out large amounts of cash and head coaching jobs to men who trace their roots to Texas soil, and mammoth offensive lineman Leonard Davis fits right in.
The club-record $16 million signing bonus that Davis received was a watershed moment for underachieving players across the league. The good news is that the Cardinals' No. 2 pick overall in the 2001 draft has always daydreamed of playing for the Cowboys.
The fact that he often did this during games is somewhat troubling.
As word of Davis' signing spread throughout the league, players responded by extending their vacations and swearing off silly offseason workout programs to spend more time with their game systems.
Sportswriters and their families were quick to condemn the signing, saying that Jones would rue the day he guaranteed Davis $18.75 million. Even a couple of high-ranking members of the organization were floored by the price Jones paid in outbidding the Giants and Redskins.
You would think veteran players might be resentful of Davis' contract -- especially the guy he may be replacing.
"When I was younger, it may have bothered me," said guard Marco Rivera, who is recovering from his second major back surgery in the past three years. "But now I feel good for him and his family. When you see some of us dropping dead at age 52 and 55, that money doesn't seem so crazy."
Thanks for the buzz kill, Marco.
But he makes a fair point. You don't see as many 338-pound 80-year-olds at the local mall anymore.
There are actually several reasons Jones decided to make Davis such an attractive offer. The one he's willing to admit is that the club completely whiffed on two first-day draft picks in 2004. One of my new ESPN colleagues, Bill Parcells, was sold on USC offensive tackle Jacob Rogers (second round) and LSU guard Stephen Peterman (third round), but neither started a game for the Cowboys. Everyone associated with the franchise has washed their hands of these two players. But, in Parcells' defense, I have a hard time believing that someone didn't agree with his decision.
The Cowboys have chased their draft failures by shelling out over $30 million in signing bonuses to free-agent offensive linemen. Former Cowboys director of scouting Larry Lacewell, who is Jones' close friend, said he and Jones spent a lot of time at the recent NFL scouting combine discussing the offensive line.
"I kept telling him that we've never fixed it," Lacewell said. "If you have the chance to fix it, you have to do it. I believe [Davis] can play at an All-Pro level."
Davis prefers playing guard, but the Cowboys already consider him a potential replacement for one of the league's classic underachievers, left tackle Flozell Adams.
There is another possible reason Jones made a large investment in Davis.
Many around the league believe in the widely held theory that the Bidwill family has created a culture of losing, and that even the most talented players can fall victim to it.
What do Corey Chavous, Simeon Rice, Pete Kendall, Thomas Jones, L.J. Shelton and Jeremy Bridges all have in common? They all achieved their greatest success after leaving the Cardinals.
San Francisco offensive line coach George Warhop was the offensive line coach for the Cardinals when Davis was drafted. He doesn't subscribe to the "losing culture" theory, but he does remember the type of player he worked with in 2001-02.
"His rookie season, he was nothing short of dominant," Warhop said of Davis. "And he was the first alternate in the Pro Bowl his second season. I don't think the Cowboys wasted their money at all."
Warhop described Davis as an intelligent player who during his rookie season would remain in his stance for a split-second on draw plays to confuse defenders.
"I never coached that," Warhop said. "He would just come up with stuff on his own, and it usually worked."
Davis played under five different offensive line coaches while he was in Arizona and appeared to lose heart. Cardinals Pro Bowl defensive end Bertrand Berry has said that Davis, when he puts his mind to it, is the best blocker he's faced.
A former member of the club's personnel department said several players on the team were bothered by the flat-screen TV and Xbox system waiting in Edgerrin James' locker after he signed a lucrative free-agent contract with the team last season. For years, players had made do with Commodore 64s, but James broke the barrier.
"All the sudden he's got a flat-screen and an Xbox in his locker," the scout said. "Guys like Leonard and Boldin were like, 'Wait a minute, why don't the guys who've been around here for a few years have any of this stuff?'"
According to another former employee, the organization only recently began offering employees direct deposit. Many of us have never carried around a $50,000 check, but I'm told it can be somewhat disconcerting.
The Cowboys issued Davis a get-out-of-jail for $16 million card and are hoping that a change of scenery is just what he needed.
And if he's lucky, they may even let him sign up for direct deposit.
______________________________________________________________
Now that's a hardcore smash job on our locker room. I don't know if I am happy reading about this crap anymore.
I don't remember any of this tension around Edge getting signed. But I would be pissed if they didn't have direct deposit!
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By Matt Mosley
ESPN.com
In addition to being obscenely large, the newest member of the Cowboys' offensive line had the good fortune of being born an hour from the club's practice facility.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, an Arkansas native, is suddenly handing out large amounts of cash and head coaching jobs to men who trace their roots to Texas soil, and mammoth offensive lineman Leonard Davis fits right in.
The club-record $16 million signing bonus that Davis received was a watershed moment for underachieving players across the league. The good news is that the Cardinals' No. 2 pick overall in the 2001 draft has always daydreamed of playing for the Cowboys.
The fact that he often did this during games is somewhat troubling.
As word of Davis' signing spread throughout the league, players responded by extending their vacations and swearing off silly offseason workout programs to spend more time with their game systems.
Sportswriters and their families were quick to condemn the signing, saying that Jones would rue the day he guaranteed Davis $18.75 million. Even a couple of high-ranking members of the organization were floored by the price Jones paid in outbidding the Giants and Redskins.
You would think veteran players might be resentful of Davis' contract -- especially the guy he may be replacing.
"When I was younger, it may have bothered me," said guard Marco Rivera, who is recovering from his second major back surgery in the past three years. "But now I feel good for him and his family. When you see some of us dropping dead at age 52 and 55, that money doesn't seem so crazy."
Thanks for the buzz kill, Marco.
But he makes a fair point. You don't see as many 338-pound 80-year-olds at the local mall anymore.
There are actually several reasons Jones decided to make Davis such an attractive offer. The one he's willing to admit is that the club completely whiffed on two first-day draft picks in 2004. One of my new ESPN colleagues, Bill Parcells, was sold on USC offensive tackle Jacob Rogers (second round) and LSU guard Stephen Peterman (third round), but neither started a game for the Cowboys. Everyone associated with the franchise has washed their hands of these two players. But, in Parcells' defense, I have a hard time believing that someone didn't agree with his decision.
The Cowboys have chased their draft failures by shelling out over $30 million in signing bonuses to free-agent offensive linemen. Former Cowboys director of scouting Larry Lacewell, who is Jones' close friend, said he and Jones spent a lot of time at the recent NFL scouting combine discussing the offensive line.
"I kept telling him that we've never fixed it," Lacewell said. "If you have the chance to fix it, you have to do it. I believe [Davis] can play at an All-Pro level."
Davis prefers playing guard, but the Cowboys already consider him a potential replacement for one of the league's classic underachievers, left tackle Flozell Adams.
There is another possible reason Jones made a large investment in Davis.
Many around the league believe in the widely held theory that the Bidwill family has created a culture of losing, and that even the most talented players can fall victim to it.
What do Corey Chavous, Simeon Rice, Pete Kendall, Thomas Jones, L.J. Shelton and Jeremy Bridges all have in common? They all achieved their greatest success after leaving the Cardinals.
San Francisco offensive line coach George Warhop was the offensive line coach for the Cardinals when Davis was drafted. He doesn't subscribe to the "losing culture" theory, but he does remember the type of player he worked with in 2001-02.
"His rookie season, he was nothing short of dominant," Warhop said of Davis. "And he was the first alternate in the Pro Bowl his second season. I don't think the Cowboys wasted their money at all."
Warhop described Davis as an intelligent player who during his rookie season would remain in his stance for a split-second on draw plays to confuse defenders.
"I never coached that," Warhop said. "He would just come up with stuff on his own, and it usually worked."
Davis played under five different offensive line coaches while he was in Arizona and appeared to lose heart. Cardinals Pro Bowl defensive end Bertrand Berry has said that Davis, when he puts his mind to it, is the best blocker he's faced.
A former member of the club's personnel department said several players on the team were bothered by the flat-screen TV and Xbox system waiting in Edgerrin James' locker after he signed a lucrative free-agent contract with the team last season. For years, players had made do with Commodore 64s, but James broke the barrier.
"All the sudden he's got a flat-screen and an Xbox in his locker," the scout said. "Guys like Leonard and Boldin were like, 'Wait a minute, why don't the guys who've been around here for a few years have any of this stuff?'"
According to another former employee, the organization only recently began offering employees direct deposit. Many of us have never carried around a $50,000 check, but I'm told it can be somewhat disconcerting.
The Cowboys issued Davis a get-out-of-jail for $16 million card and are hoping that a change of scenery is just what he needed.
And if he's lucky, they may even let him sign up for direct deposit.
______________________________________________________________
Now that's a hardcore smash job on our locker room. I don't know if I am happy reading about this crap anymore.
I don't remember any of this tension around Edge getting signed. But I would be pissed if they didn't have direct deposit!
